Electric water heater



April 2, 1929. c. J. SCANLAN ELECTRIC WATER HEATER Filed Feb. 8, 1926 TIE- l I a I I I I NV: NIB?! ATI DBNEYS Patented Apr. 2, 1929. i i 1 crrns'rnn J. soANLAN, or BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC WATER Application filed February 8, 1926 Serial No. 86,766.

This invention relates to water heaters of portion 11 is fashioned to provide a receiv- 50 the type heated by an electric resistance eleing portion 14 for one end of a bypass, ment, and more particularly, to switch mechlater to be described. An ordinary faucet anism therefor cont-rolled by a thermaleie- 15 engages the outer casing and provid=s ment directly connected with the water pormeans for drawing oil the water content tiou thereof and operating from conducted therein. An inner cylindrical casing 16 fur- 55 heat. 1 nishes a water tight housing for the electric One of the objects of the inventionis in resistance element, in the present instance the provision. of a switch member for a referred to as 17, the same being convenwater heater fashioned with a thermal con tional in design. Means for seating the retrolling agent, such agent being directly atsistance element with respect to the inner 6O tached to the hot water' portion oi? the heater cylindrical casing in a non-moisture absorbin a manner to be operated by conduered ing position is provided in an asbestos wrapheat. Y ping l8.

Another object of the invention is in the In view oil: the fact that the water heater.

provision oliswitch mechanism for electric per so, has been fully described in my co 65 water heaters, said switch member being pending application, Serial. No. 64,309, tiled fashioned in a manner to quickly open the October 23, 1925, only a general relierenceto electric circuit when the desired temperasuch heater has been made.

ture of the Water has been reached, and this lleferring specifically to the electric cirquick action being effected directly by a cuit and switches contained therein, which 7 thermal clement attached to the hot water forms the basis for the present application, portion of the heater in 311121111181 to be we find the wires 19 and 20 which are conoperated by conducted heat rather than nected'in the main line circuit. These wires conveicted heat. pass through a conventional switch member A still further object is in the provision ribed generally as'21, the details of 7 oi a bypass for a portion of the watei.-'dc-' which arose conventional as to require no livercd to the heater, said by-pass havinga description. he well knownswitch button thermal element attached thereto in a manfor controlling the same is shown at 22.

nor to control switch mechanism governing This provides a manual controlling means to the electric current to theheater. start or stop operatii'm of the heater.

Other ob jects'of theinvention Will appear The electric wires 19 and 20 are connected. in the following specification, taken in conto the binding post 23 on the switch member, nection with the annexed drawings, in which controls the operation of the heater.

35 which in insulated plate Ed is suitably attached,

Fig. 1 is an elevation, partially in section, as at 25, to a housing member 26, which has 5 showing the application oi the switch meinoptional detachable relationship with the her to the general water heater installation; upper end of the heater by means of the set Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail of a portion of screw 27. Similarly, the resistance element the thermal switch mechanism. v is fixedly attached. as at 28 to the lower ent Referring to the drawings, a portion of of the insulated plate the conventional wash bowl is shown at 10, he switch mechanism comprises the tolfashioned to receive the electric water heater lowing elements: The opposite ends of the in the manner disclosed, wherein the lower binding posts 23 and 23 have attached portion 11" oft. the water heateris fashioned thereto the spring contact members 29 and for threaded engagement with the main 29. Upon the lower ends of the above men water pipe 12. The water heater, comprises tioned contact members are disposed the an outer cylindrical casing 13, suitably atctual contact points which are fashioned tached to the base portionqll. This'base to engage opposed points on binding posts 30 and 31, which have direct connection with the resistance element through the Wires 32 and 33, there being a fuse member 34% inserted between the binding post 30 and the wire 82 leading to the resistance element. 'l.- he above mentioned conncctioi'is between the main line circuit and the resistance element, in themselves, con'iplete an electric circuit to the resistance element. Neverthless, due to the fact that the electric circuit must be broken upon the temperature of the water in the heater attaining a certain degree, there must necessarily be provided a means for opening this electric circuit at a detern'iined time, Such means is provided in the following elements:

The lower ends of the spring contacts 29 and 29 are engaged by a lug 35, attached to a binding post 36, slidably related to insulated plate 2%. This lug normally assumes such position as will permit the contacts 29 and 29 to abut the opposed con.- tacts on the binding post-s30 and 31, the position of such lug being controlled, in one instance, by a flat spring 37 attached at one end to the binding post 36 at a point adjacent said lug, and at its opposite end at the point 38 to the insulated plate 24.

The actual means for moving the slidable binding post 36 to accomplish the opening of the electric circuit to the resistance memher by moving the contact levers 29 and 29 away from their opposed contacts, is provided in the bi-mctallic strip 39, the same having its movable end located adjacent one end of the slidable binding post This thermal strip 39 has its fixed end suitably attached as at lO to a water by-pass -11, said water by-pass having its lower end opening into the main water inlet at a2, and its upper end opening into the upper end of the water heater at a3. Means providing a water-tight connection with the water inlet and the water heater for the op 'ioscd ends of the by-pass are provided. Sim larly, to permit ready rcmtwal of the housing 26, there provided. a slot a l, which permits sliding of the housing 26 over the projecting portion of the by-pass. As before described, the lined end of the thermal element 3.) is attached to the by-pass at :0. However, itmight be stated at this time that this connection is such that a considerable portion of the lei-metallic strip actually abuts the water by-pass, the reason for this connection being to increase, as much as possible, the sensitivencss of the bi-metallic portion to the temperature of the water passing through the bypass.

With respect to the operation of the water heater, and switch portions therefor, it might be stated that generally, the operas tion is similar to that of all electrical water heaters, in that the water is heated. by an electric resistance element. However, in

the present instance, the novelty lies in the manner of interrupting the electric circuit when the temperature of the Water in the heater has attained a certain (flegree, and similarly, in the manner of reestablishing the electric circuit when the water in the heater has fallen below the desired temperature.

It is obvious that the commencement of the operation of the heater is controlled primarily by the switch button 22, controlling the main switch for the heater. Upon the turning of this switch to an on position, the electrical circuit is completed to the resistance element, and the heat rays therefrom immediately begin to heat the water. lVith the rising of the temperature of the water, there will be a corresponding movement of the temperature controlled bimetallic strip 39, which will move in a mannor to strike the sliding binding post 36, and finally, when the desired temperature has been reached, it moves same to a position to open the electrical circuit through the opposed contacts located on the contact mcmbers 2S) and 29, and the binding posts 30 and 31.

In devices of the present type, namely, of small capacity, it is apparent that before hot water may be drawn oil from the faucet, some time must be consumed in heating the water. \Vith the present device, a very short time is required, and thereupon water may be drawn. olf. \Vith such a small capacity heater, it is evident that when the normal capacity of the heater has been consumed, cold water from the main pipe 12 will enter the heater, whereupon, not only will the operator close the faucet, due to the fact that cold water is issuing therefrom, but also, the thermal element 1:39 will be cooled quickly by the water passing through the bypass 4:1, and will be contracted to a position to again permit the completion of the electrical circuit to the resistance cleinenit, with a. consequent heating of the water content. The by-pass 1-1 insures quick action of the thermal element 39, due to the fact that the cold water from the pipe 12 is passed directly to the thermal. element rather than entering the lower part of the water heater, and necessarily having to cool perhaps a small volume of hot water still contained in the heater. By utilizing this by-passing of the cold water and the particular fashioning of the thermal element to be sensitive to the conducted heat therefrom, a quick acting switch controlling agent for the electrical circuit is provided with the improved results with respect to this type of heater that a much greater quantity of water may be heated and with much less consumption of time in such heating.

hat I claim is: i

In a device of the class described, the

combination With an electric heater includattached to the by-pass in a manner to be ing a container, an electric heating element, influenced by the temperature of the inlet means for accomplishing an operation of the Water as Well as the temperature of the 10 electric heating element including a cold Water in the container.

5 water inlet pipe for the container, a Water In testimony whereof, I have hereunto by-pass connecting the cold water pipe and afiixed by signature. the container and a thermal switch member CHESTER J. SCANLAN. 

